KS3 Dance: Curriculum overview

In years 7 ,8 and 9 the main objective is to develop a basic level of competence in key skill areas and enable students to perform to the best of their ability across all activity areas. Students cover five curriculum areas of games, gymnastics, dance and athletics. Within these activities' students link skills, techniques and apply them accurately and appropriately. When performing they show precision, control, fluency and understanding of character. They show that they understand composition and compare and comment on skills, techniques and ideas used in their own and others’ work.

Throughout Key Stage 3, students gain an understanding of four key concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.

• Competence: developing physical and mental skills, selecting and applying tactics/strategies and compositional ideas.

• Performance: analysing, evaluation and finding ways to improve performance.

• Creativity: experimenting with and expressing ideas through movement.

• Healthy active lifestyles: understanding the importance of physical activity to well-being.

OVERVIEW OF DANCE THEMES ACROSS KS3

KS4 Dance: Curriculum overview

Core PE: Dance Leadership

In years 10 and 11 core PE students are encouraged to take part in activities to develop a healthy active lifestyle and develop leadership skills. The leadership course enables students to learn key skills related to becoming a Dance leader and use them to deliver physical activity sessions to their peers and younger students.

Topics include:

· Communication skills, voice projection and physical demonstrations

· Organisation and planning of a dance session and contingency plans

· Health and safety in the dance space and use of props/resources

· Warming up and cooling down effectively

· Choreographing and breaking down movement material

· Selecting appropriate music for a dance session

Students who choose to study the Dance leadership programme can develop their knowledge and understanding of Dance in a range of different genres and build on previous experience from both inside and outside of school.

The Dance leadership course is available for all students to study regardless of previous experience and may assist in demonstrating student’s abilities in organisation and leadership roles for future applications and opportunities.

GCSE Dance

The GCSE Dance course is also run for students who wish to study the subject in more depth and have a commitment to extra-curricular clubs both in and out of school to develop their practical ability. The GCSE course is designed to develop student’s performance, choreography and appreciation skills and to understand the fundamental elements of Dance.

GCSE COURSE WEIGHTINGS

· 60% based on practical ability (consisting of solo and group performances and choreography)

· 40% based on written ability (consisting of Dance skills in performance and choreography and appreciation of 6 professional set Dance works)

Students have the opportunity to choreograph and perform pieces both as a solo and group dancer and learn how to develop and choreograph own ideas from a given stimulus. The course is primarily taught in a Contemporary Dance genre however a range of dance styles are incorporated throughout the course including Ballet, Samba and Hip hop.

The GCSE Dance course is available for all students to study regardless of previous experience (although any additional experience in any genre will be of benefit) and may lead onto students studying Dance further at A level or in a Degree/professional capacity. The GCSE course could also provide opportunities for students wishing to work in the Expressive Arts Industry and can lead to jobs in performing, choreographing and teaching.

OVERVIEW OF GCSE DANCE TOPICS

A-Level Dance

A-Level Dance is run for students who wish to study the subject in more depth after GCSE and who may wish to have a career in this area or study it further at University. The A Level course is designed to further develop student’s performance, choreography and appreciation skills and build on knowledge acquired from GCSE Dance.

A-LEVEL DANCE COURSE WEIGHTINGS

· 50% based on practical ability (consisting of solo and group performances and choreography)

· 50% based on written ability (consisting short answer questions and essays based on appreciation of 2 professional set Dance works and 2 set areas of study)

Students have the opportunity to choreograph and perform pieces both as a solo and group dancer and continue to develop their skills in choreography and create pieces of dance from a given stimulus. The course is primarily taught in a Contemporary Dance genre however a range of dance styles are incorporated throughout the course including Ballet, jazz and Musical theatre.

The A level Dance course is available for all students (although previous experience at GCSE level and/or any additional experience in any genre would be of benefit) and may lead onto students studying Dance further in a Degree/professional capacity. The A level course could also provide opportunities for students wishing to work in the Expressive Arts Industry and can lead to jobs in performing, choreographing and teaching.

OVERVIEW OF A-LEVEL DANCE TOPICS